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Proposed Government Bill Will Require All New Houses To Have Sustainable Drainage

Government proposal aims to prevent overburdening of the existing systems and to reduce the likelihood of surface water flooding.
The UK government’s commitment to building at least 300,000 new homes every year puts an additional strain on the nation’s sewerage and drainage systems.
Thus, the proposal that all new houses must have their own sustainable drainage systems (SuDs) has been welcomed by leading experts, including the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, who fear that the developments would otherwise put too much strain on both Britain’s antiquated networks and on the drainage contractors and other support systems that are stretched to their limits.
Former President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Professor David Balmforth, remarked. “Flooding is one of the major challenges facing society today, yet we continue to add to the problem by building new homes in a way that makes flooding more likely. This does not have to be the case as there is a proven and low cost solution using SuDs. The Pitt Review and the Committee on Climate Change view them as a force for good; so should the law. We urge the Lords to send the Commons a Bill that will help protect society from flooding.”

Increased Flooding

There have been more and more instances of serious flooding over recent years. For example, Cockermouth in Cumbria experienced severe flooding at the beginning of December 2015 on the back of Storm Desmond. A Flood Investigation Report issued by
The Environment Agency in collaboration with Cumbria County Council concluded that flood defences were breached by abnormally high river levels and this problem was then exacerbated by storm drains reaching capacity and overflowing.
The Pitt Review, mentioned in